Telegram-herald., 1887-09-06
LOST IN THE SNOW.

1ls slFs1zEa zfpsn sls pa-ei "a he 1Sor- ns
ssaad relied zaa rss@fo~Fats1 tlFo1sa Els
eorrilers repeated - ne eeno. gatd a. last,
.rrcasinz kaln1er assd fainter, u ezes aNay a.
~ zhsf hShE almost l1lanadials.y ap-
psarssi oebiad ths glasses II tss io~sT story
a1l.t : haarss seles erred Ehreslza rhe wick ats.
who goes rssEsi " nc darss % kDock a.
sslch al hoaF4'
ssIt sat you / want. Dsnaoisslle Victoire.s
ths applicant responded, sssisElsiy aecas-
toss.ed y tAess bFGsa1s rscsptloEs-
A. th.s monenG tas wla4os above them
openel aEd tas vssasr2nis axars II the cure
u aI8nfcernia leaned from the easement
- hat d. you want. Favslf ns as<ed In
Nstoaishnent
BIS she Deulolsslis Victoirs bad already
turned lhs key Ia tAa lock. snd the visitor,
having entered, vas zsssced at ones into the
Larsonazs 1itcbea. sEsre toe sHDsrs OF = TIRE
on ths hearth sJil gave cut gentle warmth
In the enaaabsr above TIE cure w.s putting
ca bis w1dsled coat and cassOck preparatory
y coming down.
The Abbs Brock, cure OF Montcernin. vas
= man perhaps - year, Of age, tall OF stature,
muscular u hm5 and ~ifh an appearance Of
ruzyed EeaIth snd strength For more taan
tairty years be had governed and directed
this poor little parish Of go or 500 inhabi-
tants. situated upon enc ot tia highest
pl4resus Of The Savoyardes Alps.
But how DID YOU come, Antoine, my bcyr
said the able sffectioaateiy, seat yourself
and drink glass OF eaa de vie; then tell me
u aat brought yeu here 50 late, or rather 80
s.fly, for it vas after midnight when / went
- 0e1 Speak, my good Antoine, tell Us
your srraasl"
Il have come from Aygues, NJ ls Cure"
Favsl replied, and az on the run l started
At rightf4Ii. but n q far and there Is 80 much
mOs"
rs any one sick at Aygussr interrupted
the cure.
Alas, yes; perhaps BY now he Is dead He
was taken N suddenly last night. aad was IN
conscious when left. | came 20 oblige his
wife; shs was afraid TO have him die without
confession"
-Quick. cried the cure; give me my boots
and my mantle; may arrive too late"
you cannot 60, ~ ls Cure, you cannot
90" declared Victoire. stoutly; nevertheless,
she fastened % gather up the articles de-
n,andsd. bringing her master an old hat re-
served for suca occasions, heavy woolen
cloak and a pair OF thick leather boots.
You've forgotieR the coid, u. 10 Cure, and
the snow, sac persisted; 1T is two feet deep,
/ az least"
-Four feet, said Antoine; "there isa't the
| slightest trace Of TIE road and the Black
| brock Is running out Of its banks
| ~You haven't told me who u is that is
| diving" said ths cure, suddenly addressing the
messenger.
| "Demssrigs.v replied the peasant turning a
| tinid and Questioning look upon ths face Of
the old msn-
| ~Dsnesrius Blanc," shouted Victoire in q
| rage and lifting her arms toward the ceiling
that worthless scapegrace, that good foI
| nothing scamp, he hasnt set foot in church
! since he returned from Paris. VIII you go &C
him, n 10 Cure, who Rever bows 10 the
cross, who whistles as the procession passes
/ who drinks like fish and mocks at every
| thing: surely, II. le Cure, you won't go tc
| himF 1hsreupon the worthy boune busted
herself in warming the thick wooisn over
socks and the rsbbitskiH~gleves while bel
! naster drew on his boots. "A man. she con
! tinued. ~who has insulted you lower than the
ground, and who would have beaten you but
for Antoine here."
The cure paid no attention 10 her grum
bling, however, but got up VIXEN he hac
Rnished his preparations and started to 81
OUT
Come. nv boy, you will have TO go witt
me- said ne The clerk is too old and to-
feebls; he couldn't 60 hundred yards in thL
snow. IL j. work Of charity which HEAVIER
always remembers"
Pardon me, " 10 Cure" cried Favel, re
proachfuIly, did you think | would stay
here II dozen clerks could 90 while you wer'
sxposedP
Then farewell, Victoirs, and don't forge
70 send in the morning bowl OF bouill0n AIT
a bottle OF wise TO the wife OF Pierre JAG
ques, and say prayer, my girl, for the poo
Demetrius" Saying this, the cure opene'
the door and weat out into the cold and tn
snow. The modest little church of the villag
stood upon knob just above the cure
dwelling. Unlocking thu door. they entere'
the building, Antoine holding the lantern
and took up the little vase and the silver We:
sci containing the holy oil, which the oil
priest placed in his velvet bag. carefully fast
eninz it about hIs neck. Antoine carried th
prayer book and the bell
4
II took two hours In ordinary times TO &
7 from tho church to Aygues, but in weathe
| ike this more than twice as long. Ii was t.
week before Christmas, and the oldest inhat
itants, accustomed as they we're 70 the hare
ships Of life on the Alps. had never seen
winter as terrible as this Argues was
miserable hamlet Of three or four hOvel
> lying in the bottom Of a ravine between tv
great mountains To reach it 1t was nece
sary 70 climb the PERCEPTIONS eide Of Il
a,ountaia, Cross over the tor, and descen
| by a narrow path 20 the ravine below. at Il
bottom os which foamed a rushing torrent
Il was one Of those terrible nights know
; only % the Alpine winter. A freezing co
, snchaiasd all nature. The sky was cf
! | leades gray and carpet Of untrcddsn sno
l extended as far 80 the eye could reach Pr
found silence rested upon everything.
The Abbs Brock and his guide walk
. On, scattering the snow With their Tor
/ | pointed stats. the lantern Of Antoine thro'
T inx a few feeble rays OF light upon q
I | xrouad before them. As they walked al0r
! tks good priest mnrrnur-d his prayers, whi
Antoine thought only of bis cows, his stab
and ths wheat taat filed bis grsrsry. "
ther The priest nor the peasant seemed 20 T.
fatigue as tsey moved quickly on, their sy
l fxed urou ths circle of light cast by the Ia
tern upou the snow.
Litris bT httle. however, = White be-
stood upon their brows, their breathing
? cans aurried ard they walked vita =
! rspititv The lantern swung lcss firmly
E the han5 81 Aatoine, and frcm tizie 70 tir
the oid priest stoppssi 10 rest q moment q
: - sav aloud a prayer.
They had nov bsen climbing the r1ounts
for naore than Two kou1~. bar we're std
fros- their journeys erd. ne~srtheiess. t>
continued on. speaking but s~isisn. and ID
: cniv t. eneouraxe each other.
~ ls Cu~s.r cred Antoine sudd~ulv.
have f7~gosrsn r bring n,v vsser x0ur.i'
: And ( mins. replied ths cars IN tsne
} reEret " h-t sn rnarruaence Wei
: I era. t~f-t wtt, : e4I1r rs-.rr rren